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Monday, November 12, 2001
Attacks, economy hurt area attractions' attendance
Fewer see Lexington, aquarium, but sites' directors are hopeful
By Lety Laurel
Caller-Times

David Adame/Caller-Times

Good weather has been in short supply, and combined with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the economy, rain has hurt attendance at area tourist attractions.

   Attendance rates at the Lexington Museum on the Bay still haven't fully recovered from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
   Ticket lines remain short and carts transporting visitors to and from the museum remain mostly empty.
   A rainy Labor Day weekend dropped the Lexington's visitor attendance by more than 1,200 from last year, but it was the attacks that made it impossible for the historical museum to make up the difference, said Rocco Montesano, executive director of the museum.
   "We never got to zero, but after an event like that, you can't make up for Labor Day," he said.
   There were 2,000 fewer visitors in September 2001, as compared with September 2000.
   Recent economic slumps and bad weather, combined with the threat of continued terrorism, have presented an unusual mix of challenges, Montesano said. "Even if it wasn't the terrorism, if the economy suddenly took a skid, tourism would have gone down anyway."

David Adame/Caller-Times

Trey Hardin (left) and Kathleen Kirkley of Fort Worth examine military aircraft on display on the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay on Friday.

   That's what happened at the neighboring Texas State Aquarium, which had experienced steady growth since 1998 but suddenly began seeing a decrease in July, said Donna Stockwell, director of marketing.
   Stockwell said rainy weekends - including Labor Day - and the Fourth of July holiday falling in mid-week could be factors that contributed to lower attendance.
   But both attractions expect to see resurgence in attendance as the nation's weariness wears off.
   "We are a drive destination, so I think people will get antsy and will want to leave their homes and what better place to come with the beaches and the sun," she said.
   Harriette Rubinstein, 70, has never liked to fly and after Sept. 11, she probably never will again, she said. But the attacks didn't stop her and her husband from taking a 10-day bus tour from Illinois to Texas, where a stop at the Lexington was necessary, she said.

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   "Life continues," Rubinstein said. "You just have to hope for the best."
   "I'm very proud of our military. I've been on three cruises in my day, but I've never been in a ship that has fought in war," she said."
   Renewed patriotism after the attacks may be contributing to the fact that this month the Lexington is only 2 percent off its attendance from last November, Montesano said. Although people are afraid to travel, many want to tour the ship to feel a connection with the U.S. military, he said.
   "It's very difficult to put a finger on what is going on because there are so many moving pieces," he said. "If we didn't have a military and patriotic theme, would it be worse? Is the drop-off in October related to the renewed warnings of attacks? We just don't know."
   Shannon Atkins, 23, and Robert Wagner, 22, were stationed in Kuwait during the attacks, and both have been relocated to El Paso. But they were in Corpus Christi Friday to tour the Lexington.
   "Kids my age now don't know anything about the past and what the military has done for us," Wagner said. "Maybe this will get them to come and learn about it and see what the military has done for us."


Contact Lety Laurel at 886-3716 or laurell@caller.com

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